Endovascular prostheses are sometimes used to treat aortic aneurysms. Such treatment includes implanting a stent or stent-graft within the diseased vessel to bypass the anomaly. An aneurysm is a sac formed by the dilation of the wall of the artery. Aneurysms may be congenital, but are usually caused by disease or, occasionally, by trauma. Aortic aneurysms which commonly form between the renal arteries and the iliac arteries are referred to as abdominal aortic aneurysms (“AAAs”). Other aneurysms occur in the aorta, such as thoracic aortic aneurysms (“TAAs”) and aortic uni-iliac (“AUI”) aneurysms.
PCT Publication WO 2008/107885 to Shalev et al., and US Patent Application Publication 2010/0063575 to Shalev et al. in the US national stage thereof, which are incorporated herein by reference, describe a multiple-component expandable endoluminal system for treating a lesion at a bifurcation, including a self expandable tubular root member having a side-looking engagement aperture, and a self expandable tubular trunk member comprising a substantially blood impervious polymeric liner secured therealong. Both have a radially-compressed state adapted for percutaneous intraluminal delivery and a radially-expanded state adapted for endoluminal support.
US Patent Application Publication 2009/0254170 to Hartley et al. describes a deployment system for introducing stent grafts which have a side arm or into which a side arm can be deployed. For instance the stent graft can be deployed into the thoracic arch of a patient. The deployment system includes an introducer, an auxiliary catheter disposed within the introducer and an auxiliary guide wire disposed within the auxiliary catheter. The auxiliary guide wire extends to adjacent the proximal end of the introducer an can be extended from the proximal end of the introducer so that it can be snared from a side branch artery to assist with deployment of a side arm of the stent graft into the side artery or for the deployment of a side arm stent graft into the stent graft.
The following references may be of interest:    U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,740 to Melbin    U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,040 to Cox et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,962 to Elliott    US Patent Application Publication 2004/0106978 to Greenberg et al.    US Patent Application Publication 2006/0229709 to Morris et al.    US Patent Application Publication 2006/0241740 to Vardi et al.    US Patent Application Publication 2007/0233229 to Berra et al.    US Patent Application Publication 2008/0109066 to Quinn    US Patent Application Publication 2008/0114445 to Melsheimer et al.    US Patent Application Publication 2010/0161026 to Brocker et al.    PCT Publication WO 2004/017868 to Hartley    PCT Publication WO 2006/007389 to Greenberg et al.    PCT Publication WO 2007/084547 to Godlewski et al.    PCT Publication WO 2008/042266 to Yi Tseng et al.    PCT Publication WO 2008/047092 to Goddard et al.    PCT Publication WO 2008/140796 to Hartley et al.    PCT Publication WO 2010/024869 to Hartley et al.    PCT Publication WO 2010/024879 to Hartley et al.    PCT Publication WO 2010/062355 to Kolbel et al.    European Publication EP 1 177 780 A2 to Barone    European Publication EP 1 325 716 A1 to Depalma et al.    Canadian Publication CA 2 497 704 to Nelson